Do you want to optimize your website? Well then, we recommend you to check out the Google search console. This free tool provided by Google will help you evaluate your website performance by calculating your website’s performance during search results. Think of it as an inside scoop supplied by Google itself!
It was initially called Google Webmaster tools until it was overhauled entirely around 2018. The Google search console was then created after several updates and fixes to improve the overall quality. It is presently the most helpful tool for website owners around the world.
What exactly does search console Google achieve?
The free search console Google provides has become a crucial tool for the survival of any website. It’s similar to how a doctor uses a heart rate monitor to check a patient’s vitals. The heart rate monitor measures activity such as heartbeat and rhythm, which helps doctors understand what’s going on.
So to put it simply, the search console is a heart rate monitor that webmasters use to oversee their websites. The tool is occasionally even referred to as the webmaster search console. What is a webmaster, you ask? A webmaster is a person who administers and inspects the day-to-day functioning of a website.
Webmasters are responsible for the overall health of their websites. Their job is to make sure that the website is visible to the target audience. This can be achieved with the help of the search engine performance report.
Google Analytics vs. Search console, what’s the difference?
People often get confused between Google Analytics and Google Search console. We’ve frequently been asked why we use both of them in the first place. Aren’t they both the same thing? Well, you have to understand the difference between the two to answer that question.
Although both these tools share some similarities with each other, they are not the same in any way. Yes, both tools indeed allow measuring your website’s traffic; however, their core features differ from each other.
Google Analytics lets you see reporting on page views and bounce rates etc., which means that it lets you observe data about the users who visit your website. On the other hand, the Google Search console has to do with the technical workings of your website.
But keep in mind that as a webmaster, you will need both your Google Analytics and Search console.
Getting started with the Google search console
The first step is to sign up for the Google search console and log in. Then, you’ll have to add your website to the Google Gsc. You can do this by clicking on ‘add property’ and entering your website URL in the Domain section.
You must verify your website using one of several methods. The easiest way is by uploading a unique HTML file to your website. Next, you’ll want to set your target country, i.e., the area you want to focus on.
You must now link your search console with Google Analytics. To do this, log in to Google Analytics and go to the admin section and then property settings. Click on the adjust search console option and then add your website URL.
Note that you must add a sitemap if you’re running a large website with thousands of pages. You can do this by heading over to the Yoast SEO plugin. Small website owners may ignore this step and move on to search engine optimization.
Optimizing your website with the Google search console
The Google search console helps you increase your traffic by fixing SEO-related technical issues. These technical issues can be resolved using the Index Coverage report.
To put things simply, all the pages on your website must be included in the Google Index. This is done automatically by Google once you set up your website. However, there may be certain issues that prevent your website from being added. A webmaster’s job is to fix these issues using the Index Coverage report.
The report will show you four categories; Error, Valid with warnings, Valid, and Excluded. Each category will have a certain number that signifies the amount of increasing or decreasing errors over time. The first thing you want to do is fix the issues in the Error category before moving on.
The index will show you which page has an error and what kind of error it is. Enter the particular URL into the inspection field to find the specific type of error. After that, you can either fix it manually by redirecting the page or leave it to get unindexed.
This is a brief overview of the error fixing process in the Index coverage report. You can find a complete in-depth guide on various help pages related to GSC.
Removing a page from the URL removal tool
There may be cases where you cannot fix the error surrounding a webpage, leaving you no option but to remove it. You can use the URL removal tool in the older version of GSC to achieve this.
You will find this option in the Legacy tools and report tab. Simply open the tab and click on removals and paste the particular URL into the box. You can then submit a request to remove the web page. This will report the URL to Google, eventually removing it.
Increasing your traffic with the Performance report
The final step to boosting traffic is using the Performance report. This is a chart where you can see the total number of clicks to your website. What’s more, it even shows you the average CTR, total impressions, and average position of your website.
This chart allows you to view data within a timeframe of up to 16 months. You can read this data and use it to charge your CTR and positions. Ideally, you want to find the least ranking page and improve it.
What’s more, you can rework your website descriptions by adding keywords to help improve site traffic.
Overall, the Google search console is a powerful SEO tool that can efficiently boost your web traffic.
